Robot Master

About this board game

Robot Master is a strategic placement game for 1–4 players that takes about 15 minutes to play. Using a 36-card robot deck, players fill a 5×5 grid while trying to make every row and column as valuable as possible.

Each card has a value from 0 to 5. A row’s score is normally the sum of its robots, but matching robots can dramatically increase its value. A pair of identical robots is worth ten times the face value of one robot, so two 3s score 30 points. Three robots of the same type in a row are worth 100 points, regardless of their value.

The central challenge is that Robot Master is not simply about building the highest possible score. At the end of the game, the player with the lowest-valued row or column loses. Every placement therefore requires attention to both promising combinations and the weakest line in your grid.

• Players: 1–4
• Playing time: approximately 15 minutes
• Grid: 5×5
• Deck: 36 robot cards, including six cards of each value from 0 to 5

Because 11 cards do not come into play, you must also play the odds when deciding which robots may eventually reach your grid. This uncertainty gives the placement puzzle an additional layer of judgment: the cards you are waiting for may never appear, while an opponent may benefit from the shuffle.

Released in 2008, Robot Master is also available for turn-based online play through Jijbent.nl in Dutch and YourTurnMyTurn.com in English. Mindgames.com offers a solitaire version.